'The further I go the better I see': The short story collection as artistic series.

This article examines iterative adaptation as a fundamental and often unconscious aspect of the literary creative process, particularly in retelling myths, using the classical myth of Apollo and Daphne as a case study. Drawing on the author's experience adapting Ovid's poem and Bernini's sculpture into a short story collection, it highlights how iterative adaptations allow for multiple perspectives and evolving narratives within a single mythic framework. The article situates iterative adaptation alongside concepts of intertextuality and cognitive unconsciousness, arguing that repetition and variation are intrinsic to storytelling and myth's evolution over time. It also explores how iterative adaptation parallels artistic series in visual arts, such as Monet's paintings, and reflects on the author's personal creative process influenced by autistic spectrum disorder.